


The Last Year - Working Title

by theworstamateur



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F, Lesbian, Lesbian Sexy Times, Original Characters - Freeform, Original Story - Freeform, alternative universe, erotica eventually, except this one is much better so maybe don't bother actually, i wrote another story with these characters so read that one first, just read the story, lesbian love story i suppose, sequel to a work i already did
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-14 16:54:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29049489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theworstamateur/pseuds/theworstamateur
Summary: Emma and Ava come back for their final year of Hogwarts, but Emma's world is immediately flipped on its head- not least by the presence of the fascinating Mary.
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work in progress. I'm publishing each chapter as it's written this time, so expect to wait a lil while between chapters. I'm also going to try and do longer chapters, and better structure, and better writing basically.

Emma stood on the platform at King’s Cross station, in front of the barrier between platforms 9 and 10, waiting. She was waiting for her girlfriend, Ava, who she hadn’t seen since they had parted ways last June after leaving Hogwarts. While Emma was at home she had been surprised by how much of her life revolved around the weekly letter Ava sent her; each time it arrived, Emma felt her heart lift.

Emma scanned the crowd of muggles, occasionally spotting an acquaintance from Hogwarts, keeping her eyes peeled for Ava. She looked up at the clock, worrying at the time, and looked back down to see Ava, her elegant and athletic figure appearing to shine as she walked, Emma’s vision tunnelling towards her. Emma broke out into an involuntary grin, as Ava noticed her and returned the smile. Emma felt all the stress of the last six weeks melt away as Ava sped up, pulling her trolley as fast as she could towards Emma. Her dirty blonde hair flew behind her, like a halo. Soon, they were together, and Emma jumped into Ava’s arms, wrapping her legs around Ava’s waist as she liked to do, and kissing her hard. Ava reciprocated, and Emma was lost in the moment, her heart soaring.

“Hey,” said Ava, when Emma had got down. “Long time no see.” 

Emma laughed. “I’ve missed you,” she said.

“And I, you,” said Ava. “How have you been?”

“Good,” said Emma. She looked at the wall. “I kind of don’t want to go.”

“I know what you mean,” said Ava. “This is it. The last time we go through this barrier. Unless we have kids.”

Emma was taken aback by this comment. She had never even thought about that sort of thing. A look at Ava’s face told her that she was joking, and she made herself calm down a bit. “Well,” said Emma. “I guess we should…”

“It’s a shame it’s so thin,” said Ava. “I would have liked to go through with you. Arm in arm, you know.”

Emma smiled. “Ladies first,” she said, stepping aside.

“Ladies first,” said Ava, laughing. As Ava laughed, Emma noticed a new pendant around her neck. It was small heart, divided vertically into pink, purple, and blue sections, ringed in gold. 

“That’s pretty,” said Emma, truthfully. It was beautiful.

“Thanks,” said Ava. “I saw it and I couldn’t resist. Do you recognise the colours?”

“I don’t think so.”

“I forgot, you didn’t grow up around muggles,” said Ava. “It’s the bi flag.”

“Bi?”

“As in bisexual,” said Ava. “Over the summer I came to terms with it. I am bisexual, and so I got this to celebrate.”

“That’s great,” said Emma. She hugged her tightly, happy that Ava had found an identity she felt comfortable with.

They crossed the barrier, to find Alice waiting for them. “Have you heard?” she said as soon as they arrived. “They haven’t announced the Head Boy and Girl yet?”

“What?” said Emma.

“Well, normally they announce the Head Boy and Head girl before the year starts, but for some reason they haven’t told anyone yet. I just asked Helen, and she said that Linda told her that Bradley, you know, that Hufflepuff she’s dating, told her that, according to Lucy they’re going to announce it at the sorting.”

“How does Lucy know that?” said Emma, as Ava’s head spun from the litany of names.

“Her great uncle is the gamekeeper,” said Alice.

“What, Hagrid?” said Ava, smiling.

“No, he’s retired now. I’m not surprised, he’s about a hundred. The new one, Bobbins or something. Apparently, he told Lucy that McGonagall’s going to tell everyone who the new Head Boy and Girl are at the sorting.”

“And she told Bradley?”

“Yeah,” said Alice. “And Brad told Linda, who told Helen, who just told me. I’ll be honest,” she said in hushed tones, “I think there’s something going on between Bradley and Lucy. I mean, is there any other reason those two would be talking?”

“I thought Lucy was a lesbian?” said Ava.

“Is she? How do you know?”

Ava thought back to when she had accidentally walked in on Lucy and Emma last year and shrugged.

“Lucy tried it on with me once,” said Emma. “Back when me and Ava had just started dating.”

“Really?” said Alice. “That’s fascinating.”

“Maybe, don’t tell anyone,” said Emma. “I probably shouldn’t have told anyone.”

“It’s fine, I won’t say anything,” said Alice. 

They boarded the train and Alice and Ava went to the front with the other Prefects, discussing who they thought the new Head Boy and Girl could be. Emma sat alone in her carriage, reading a book on wandmaking she had kept from her apprenticeship at Ollivander’s. Ollivander had been so happy with how she had done that he would allow her to work at his shop as long as she got at least one N.E.W.T., which she was confident of achieving. 

As she read, there was a knock on the door. She looked up to see a petite, blonde girl who Emma recognised but hadn’t really spoken to. “Hi,” she said, in a small voice. “Do you mind if I sit in here?”

“Go ahead,” said Emma. The girl sat opposite her, flicking her bright blonde hair back from her face, which was covered in freckles, and had big eyes. As Emma looked, she realised that one eye was blue and the other was green. Emma recognised her as a Ravenclaw, but couldn’t recall her name.

“Mary,” said the girl, holding her hand out. 

Emma smiled, and shook it.

“Emma,” she said. 

“Oh, I know,” said Mary. 

“Do you? How…?” said Emma, worrying suddenly that she’d become famous for having a breakdown in her sixth year.

“The Quidditch game, last year,” said Mary, blushing slightly. “When you kissed Ava. That was so romantic.”

“Oh,” said Emma, pleasantly surprised. “I guess it was. I was worried you were going to talk about that time I blew up Leo Audax.”

“Oh, I thought that was cool, too,” said Mary. “What spell did you use?”

“I… don’t know if I should say,” said Emma. “I nearly got expelled for doing it.”

“I’m sorry,” said Mary. “I can be too curious sometimes. Part of being a Ravenclaw, I guess.”

“I know,” said Emma, and she did, all too well.

Mary got her own book out, and the pair read for a bit, comfortable in each other’s company, both knowing that the other was as happy reading in silence than talking, which was a dynamic Emma enjoyed with other Ravenclaws. After a while, just as Emma was wondering where Ava and the others were, Mary looked up. “I just… wanted to say thanks, by the way.”

Emma was taken aback. “What for? Blowing up Leo?”

Mary laughed, a bright, pretty sound that caught Emma off guard. “No, but I’m glad you did. He’s a real creep. No, it was for… what you did. Coming out.”

“What do you mean?”

“I did some research,” said Mary. “Did you know there’s never been an out witch or wizard at Hogwarts? I mean, I’m sure there’ve been gay wizards before, and everyone knows what they say about Dumbledore, but even he never came out in his lifetime. As far as I can tell, you’re the first.”

Emma had never thought about it like that. “Hmm,” she said, mulling the thought over in her head. “That’s cool, I guess.”

“But I’m glad you did it,” said Mary. “And seeing you two at the table together just made me feel so much better.”

“What do you mean?” said Emma. Mary raised an eyebrow, and Emma finally realised. “Oh. You’re-“

“Yes,” said Mary. “But, unlike you, I wasn’t brave enough to come out. But, I guess, I’ve seen that it isn’t really that bad. You showed me that.”

“Well, I wasn’t exactly brave,” said Emma. “I didn’t really mean to, to be honest. I just couldn’t help myself. Ava wanted to make it public before me, but I didn’t want to.”

“Well, either way,” said Mary. “Thank you. For making me feel good about myself.”

Emma was suddenly overcome with emotion. She had never thought about that aspect of it. “It’s fine,” she said, supressing tears that had come without warning. “I just wish someone had done it for me.”

“Well, thanks to you, all the gay first years won’t feel like they're so weird anymore.”

Emma nodded, unsure of how to process what she had learned. It was a good thing, she was sure of that. But at the same time, it made her uneasy. She felt like there was a pressure on her now, a lot of eyes watching her at all times. She realised that she was going to be the first lesbian graduate from Hogwarts, the first lesbian student to do N.E.W.Ts. The first lesbian student to do everything. She almost couldn’t believe that there had been none before her, but the wizarding world appeared to be lagging behind the muggle world in that one respect, according to what Alice and Ava had told her.

Mary and Emma kept reading for another hour or so, until Emma looked up to see the sky darkening, as it did so early in autumn. Still Ava and Alice hadn’t returned from the Prefect’s car, which they usually did after half an hour. Mary saw her looking troubled, and raised an inquiring eyebrow. “They should be back by now,” said Emma. “The prefects.”

“Are they?” said Mary. 

“Yeah,” said Emma, standing up. “I might go and see what’s happening.”

Just as she was about to leave, the announcement came that they were approaching Hogwarts. “We better get changed,” said Mary.

“Yeah…” said Emma, worried about Ava and Alice. It was stupid to worry, she told herself. They were almost certainly fine. She stayed and got changed with Mary instead.

Ava didn’t return as the train pulled into Hogsmeade station. Emma searched around for them, waiting until there was only one carriage left up to Hogwarts. Mary waited with her, and they took it together, Emma starting to become increasingly worried about Ava and Alice. 

“I’m sure they’re fine,” said Mary, absent-mindedly rubbing the thin air in front of the carriage.

“What are you… can you see Thestrals?”

“Oh my god, sorry. Yes, I can. I forget that other people can’t sometimes,” said Mary.

“Who did…no, I’m sorry, that’s a horrible question,” said Emma.

“No, it’s fine,” said Mary. “I actually don’t know. I’ve always been able to. I don’t know who it was, but I must have been really young. I can remember seeing them in my second year, and telling Flitwick, and he just looked sad.”

“I can’t blame him,” said Emma. “He must have thought you’d been traumatised as a child.”

Mary giggled. “Well, I wasn’t, which I think confused him. He gave me a book about them, which was cool. But I don’t remember seeing anyone die.”

They chatted more about the upcoming N.E.W.T. work, and the various things that had happened to them over the summer. Emma found that she really liked Mary, and saw the same rampant curiosity in her that she knew was in herself. She was pretty, too, in a freckly kind of way.

When they approached the gates they saw Professor Flitwick ushering the kids through. “Good evening, ladies. How are you tonight? Excited?”

“Yes, sir. Have you seen the prefects come through?” asked Emma.

“Of course, they were first through,” said Flitwick. “New procedure this year.”

“Okay, thanks,” said Emma, relaxing slightly.

Flitwick smiled, and nodded knowingly. “Miss Wood, there was something I wanted to talk to you about. An exciting opportunity for your final year. See me after charms tomorrow.”

“We haven’t got our timetables yet,” said Emma.

“Oh, well, don’t tell McGonagall I told you,” said Flitwick, winking. Emma smiled, and rushed up to catch the other seventh years entering Hogwarts for what would be their final sorting.  
In the Great Hall, Emma couldn’t find Alice at the Ravenclaw table, so she sat with Mary, feeling strangely as if Mary had completely replaced her old friends. She missed Ava, which was stupid because they’d only been apart for a few hours. She just hadn’t been expecting it. She’d been expecting a comfy train ride with her girlfriend, and had instead had a new world of quasi-fame thrust upon her. She shook her head, and told herself it would be fine tomorrow. 

As the first years entered, Emma noticed the prefects walking in behind them; two from each house, each year from fifth year upwards, which made 24 older students following the first years in. Ava caught her eye and smirked, having clearly been instructed that she had to remain serious for the Sorting. Emma felt a great calm come over her. Her mind had been wandering to uncomfortable places, and she was grateful to still have Ava in her life, even if it was something as insignificant as a half-smirk across a crowded hall.

Professor McGonagall gave her cursory Sorting speech, welcoming the students back to another year at Hogwarts. There was an addendum, however. “This year,” she said, “there will be some changes. Firstly, Hogsmeade can now be visited by any seventh year student with a permission slip at any time outside of teaching hours. The normal rules apply; you are representatives of the school, and your behaviour will be monitored closely. Any infringements, and your right will be revoked.

“Now, onto another matter. In previous years, the Head Boy and Head Girl were informed prior to the year of their appointment to these prestigious posts by owl, but things will be different this year. The Head Boy and Head Girl will be announced in a few moments, whereupon they will take their place at the head table with the teachers for the Sorting Ceremony

“The Head Boy for this year,” said McGonagall, increasing the tension by pausing, summoning a hush of anticipation over the hall, “is Julius Austin, from Slytherin House!”

There was a smattering of applause from all the tables other than Slytherin, who roared in celebration. Julius, an athletic boy with long brown hair who was captain of the Slytherin Quidditch Team, stood up to accept his posting, smiling and waving. Emma had always thought he was one of the nicer Slytherins, with a kind face and generally easy-going demeanour.

“And the Head Girl,” said McGonagall, “is Emma Wood, from Ravenclaw!”

Emma’s world turned inside out. She felt Mary patting her shoulder, heard the Ravenclaws cheering around her, but didn’t react. She looked up at McGonagall, who smiled, and waved her up. Slowly, not really comprehending what was happening, she stood and walked awkwardly up to the head table. As she shook McGonagall’s hand, she came back to reality, and glanced over at the Prefects. Ava was beaming, cheering louder than anyone else, and Alice just looked shocked. Emma smiled, waved quickly to Ravenclaw, who cheered her again, and took her seat next to Julius, who shook her hand with a smile.

McGonagall wrapped up the speech, and commenced the Sorting. Emma found herself in a strange place. She felt as though her whole world had been flipped upside down. She should have been eating with Alice and her friends by now, looking forward to seeing Ava again, not sitting up at the head table with a Slytherin boy. She looked awkwardly over at Julius, who gave her a reassuring smile.  
As the children were sorted, and the feast started, Emma managed to catch Ava’s eye again, and saw her smiling broadly. She felt strange, like it should be Ava instead of her. She had suspected that Ava would get it, and had been surprised when no letter arrived confirming such. She also noticed lots of other students, including disgruntled Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors, looking pointedly at her. She made an effort to smile as courteously as possible, but she was starting to get tired and fed up. She hadn’t even considered what her duties would be. Was this what Flitwick was talking about?

“You okay?” asked a voice from beside her. Julius was looking at her, concerned. “You drifted off for a second.”

“Yeah, I’m just processing this whole thing.”

“It’s ridiculous, don’t you think?” said Julius. “They didn’t even give us any warning.”

“I know,” said Emma. “I mean, I wasn’t even a Prefect.”

“Me neither,” said Julius. “Makes me wonder what McGonagall’s doing. Maybe she’s losing it.”

Emma supressed a laugh. “Don’t say that,” she said. “McGonagall knows what she’s doing. She just doesn’t want to tell the rest of us.”

Julius chuckled. “Well, maybe we can ask her when she tells us what the hell we’re supposed to do.”

“Hopefully.”

When the meal was finished, McGonagall sent the rest of Hogwarts to bed, instructing the Prefects to lead the new students to their dorms. Julius and Emma stood to leave, but McGonagall stopped them. When the hall was empty, McGonagall invited the Head Boy and Girl to walk with her to her office.

“I appreciate that this is rather… sudden,” said McGonagall. “But, truth be told, I’ve been feeling of late that Hogwarts is stuck in the past. I have decided to make some changes, beyond allowing you to visit Hogsmeade every evening, that is. You two were not picked because you are typical Prefect material, no offence, but because of other virtues.”

“What virtues?” said Julius. Emma marvelled at how diplomatically he spoke.

“You’ll see,” said McGonagall. “It was you, Miss Wood, who prompted these feelings, last year at the Quidditch match.”

“Oh,” said Emma, her cheeks going red. That was maybe the worst thing McGonagall could have said. Did that mean she was only Head Girl because she was a lesbian?

“You made me realise that Hogwarts’s culture was outdated. The confusion and shock surrounding that match is emblematic of the old-world thinking that we have to work hard to transform into more modern discourse.”

Emma nodded, though Julius looked vaguely confused. “Professor,” he said, “what do we have to do?”

“I’ll tell you tomorrow,” said McGonagall, as they arrived at her office. “Lunchtime?”

“I can’t,” said Emma, “I have to meet Professor Flitwick.”

“I’ll arrange for Filius to reschedule your meeting,” said McGonagall, ascending the stairs to her office. “Goodnight.”

“Wow,” said Julius. “I’d heard that Dumbledore was vague. Maybe it comes with the job.”

Emma held her head in her hands, feeling a headache coming on. She had just wanted to spend some time with Ava. It had been six weeks, and they had only spent five minutes together. “You don’t seem to be adjusting too well to this,” said Julius.

“No, I’m fine,” said Emma. “It’s just a lot to take in.”

“It is weird, don’t you think?” said Julius. “That it was you that started this?”

“Don’t start,” said Emma. “I don’t want to think about it.”

“Okay,” said Julius. “I’m sorry.”

Emma glanced up at him. For a Slytherin, he seemed a decent enough guy. If Emma had to sum him up in one word, she’d go with “chill”. He seemed very chill. Even now, he seemed totally relaxed by the whole situation, where Emma felt like her hair might fall out.

“Well, I feel like we should be doing something,” said Julius, “but seeing as she didn’t tell us anything, we just go to bed, right?”

“I guess,” said Emma.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, walking off. Emma shook her head, completely exhausted by the tumultuous day she’d had. She slunk off to the Ravenclaw Tower, wishing she could stop by the Gryffindor Tower to see Ava. When she entered the common room, there was a massive buzz of people around her. Alice managed to push them aside, and get to her. “You okay?” she asked immediately.

“Yeah, I think so,” said Emma.

“Come on,” said Alice. “Let’s go to bed.”

“No,” said Emma. “I have to say something.”

Alice nodded and backed off. Emma made her way to a table, and stood on it, needing the extra height. “Hey,” she said. “I don’t know what happened tonight either. You guys got as much warning as I did. I don’t know anything yet, so don’t ask me any questions. I know none of you were expecting this, but it’s not my fault, okay?”

A general murmur of assent rumbled through the assembled Ravenclaws. Most of them seemed happy enough, which surprised Emma. She had been expecting some long-held resentment to come forwards, but that didn’t seem to happen. “Okay. Have a good night.” She climbed down, and sat with Alice and her boyfriend Paul.

“Wow,” said Alice. “That was crazy.”

“I know,” said Emma. “What’s McGonagall thinking? Why did she make me Head Girl?”

“I meant that speech,” said Alice. “You seemed to be in your element there. You had them in the palm of your hand.”

“Don’t be stupid.”

“Okay, you weren’t exactly Dumbledore,” said Alice, “but you were good. That’s definitely a Head Girl kind of speech.”

“Ugh,” said Emma, holding her head.

“Congrats, by the way,” said Alice, Paul echoing her sentiments. 

“Yes, congratulations,” said a voice from behind her. Mary was standing there, seemingly shrinking back as Emma turned to look. Her voice seemed dreamier than it had on the train.

“Thanks,” said Emma. “Alice, Paul, this is Mary. I met her on the train.”

Mary joined them, smiling shyly. “Your hair is beautiful, by the way,” said Alice. 

“Thanks,” said Mary, stroking her long blonde hair. “It’s because I’m a Lovegood. We have good hair in our genes.”

“Lovegood?” said Paul. “As in Luna Lovegood? Friend of Harry Potter?”

“That’s my mother,” said Mary.

“Really?” said Paul, eyes widening. Alice tugged his sleeve, but he didn’t notice. “Have you met Harry Potter?”

“Oh yes,” said Mary. “And Ronald Weasley, and Hermione Granger, and all the rest of them. Mother goes round for dinner a lot, and she started bringing me a few years ago.”

“That’s awesome,” said Paul.

“I mean, I’ve met Harry Potter,” said Emma.

Paul sighed. “So everyone’s met Harry Potter but me?”

“I haven’t,” said Alice. 

“He’s not that impressive, really,” said Mary. “He’s nice, if a little distracted at times.”

They kept chatting about Harry Potter and his famous friends for a while until they all decided to go to bed. As Emma tried to sleep, she couldn’t help but think about Ava, and how they had hardly seen each other all day. At least she knew she had Charms tomorrow, where Ava should be. The thought was enough to send her into happy dreams of Ava, the pair of them sitting under the tree by the lake, just existing together. She smiled as she slept.


	2. Chapter 2

At breakfast, Emma saw Julius eating with the other Slytherins, so she sat at the Ravenclaw table. Her fellow Ravenclaws, even the ones she didn’t really know, nodded and smiled at her as she passed them. It felt good, like another level of acceptance into her own house, but it also made her slightly uneasy.

She sat down with Mary and Alice, glancing over at the Gryffindor table. Ava walked in, and caught Emma’s eye. Emma invited her over, and Ava sat down next to her. “Hey,” she said, taking her hand and squeezing it. “I feel like I haven’t seen you since the station. How are you?”

“Better now,” said Emma, resting her head on Ava’s shoulder.

“I can’t believe it,” said Ava. “Head Girl. You deserve it.”

“Thanks,” said Emma. “I’m not really sure what McGonagall is playing at.”

“What do you mean?” said Ava. “You’re by far the smartest student here. You got ridiculous O.W.L.S. What was it again?”

“12 Os,” said Emma, blushing slightly.

“Exactly. I’m surprised you weren’t made Prefect in the first place.”

“Being a Prefect isn’t all about grades,” said Mary. “It’s a more political, leadership-based role, to prepare students for careers in the Ministry.”

“Huh,” said Emma. “Usually that sort of thing goes hand in hand."

"Not always," said Mary.

“Maybe McGonagall is trying to reward academic greatness rather than political prowess,” said Alice. 

“What about Julius?” said Ava. “He’s not exactly a genius.”

“But he’s a Quidditch player, right?” said Emma. Ava nodded. “So maybe it’s grades and sports, instead of grooming kids for the Ministry.”

“It’s very interesting,” said Mary. “Makes me wonder if McGonagall is drifting away from the Ministry’s influence.”

“Yeah,” said Alice. “I thought it was strange that they tried to muscle in again after the Wizarding War.”

“Hey,” said Ava, “I don’t think we’ve met.”

“Oh,” said Mary. “I’m Mary Lovegood.”

“Lovegood?”

“Yes, we’ve had that discussion.”

Ava smiled. “Ava Lewis,” she said. “I’m Emma’s girlfriend.” Hearing Ava say it out loud made Emma smile stupidly.

“Nice to meet you,” said Mary. She had an oddly dreamy way of speaking, as if she was just slightly surprised about everything. 

“What do you have first?” Ava asked Emma.

“Ancient Runes, then Arithmancy, then Charms,” said Emma.

“Cool,” said Ava.

“You don’t have to pretend that Arithmancy is cool,” said Emma.

“Okay, sounds boring,” said Ava. Emma laughed.

“It’s not that bad,” said Mary. “I find it quite relaxing, actually.”

“I didn’t know you did Arithmancy,” said Alice. Emma also didn’t know, but she kept quiet.

“Yep, I sit at the back, which is why Emma didn’t know,” said Mary. There was a brief, awkward pause. “Oh, I’m sorry. I said too much for my own good again, didn’t I?”

Emma didn’t know what to say. “It’s something my mother does, too,” said Mary. “I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine,” said Emma. “I’ll see you in Arithmancy, okay?”

Mary nodded and smiled.

Emma went to Ancient Runes on her own, thinking about Mary and Ava. Even though she had only known Mary for a day or so, it felt weird to have her and Ava interacting. She appreciated Mary’s honesty, though, but couldn’t help wondering if maybe Ava would take their friendship the wrong way. She didn’t know that Mary was a lesbian, though. Maybe it was easier if Emma didn’t tell Ava. And, of course, it was the right thing to do. She shook her head, glad to have spent some more time with Ava. She was looking forward to the weekend, when they could go down to Hogsmeade and spend the whole day together.

She spent Ancient Runes distracted, caught up with Mary going into Arithmancy, and headed off to Charms alone, gently putting a hand on Ava’s shoulder when she saw her. 

“Miss Wood,” said Flitwick as the students filed into the classroom, “congratulations on becoming the Head Girl. I must confess, it’s not often we Ravenclaws get such honours, so I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you, sir,” said Emma. “Did you know?”

“Not at all,” said Flitwick.

Emma nodded, and took her seat beside Ava. They practiced the Patronus Charm, more as an academic exercise than for any practical reason. Emma could conjure one with ease, but held her abilities back a little bit, so as not to seem like showing off. “Hey,” Ava said halfway through. “You should go for it.”

“Why?” said Emma.

“You’re Head Girl,” said Ava. “It can’t hurt to impress some people.”

Emma considered this, and nodded. “Fine,” she said. “In a second.” First, she watched Ava cast her own attempt, managing a thin shield of white vapour. Flitwick was duly impressed. Most of the students hadn’t even managed the shield. 

Emma stood back, raised her wand, and said the incantation loudly and firmly. Sure enough, a bright white small bird erupted from the end of her wand, and flitted around the room, eliciting awed coos from the other students. Flitwick nodded knowingly and put his hands together, encouraging the students to applaud Emma’s Patronus. There was something strangely personal about showing off a Patronus, Emma thought. It felt like it should be more private.

“You hungry?” Ava asked after the lesson.

“Yes, but I have to see McGonagall,” said Emma. “It’s about the Head Girl thing.”

“Right. Good luck,” said Ava.

“Thanks.”

Emma was walking away when Ava called her name again. Ava came closer and spoke in a soft voice. “I thought it was going to be me. Gryffindor usually get it, and I’m captain of the Quidditch team and everything. But, if it was going to be anyone else, I’d have picked you.”

“Thank you,” said Emma.

“I’m really proud of you,” said Ava, hugging her tight. Emma wished they could hug forever, but undoubtedly a teacher would come along and break it up.

“I wish we’d spent more time together.”

“We’ll go to Hogsmeade in a few days,” said Ava. “It’ll be the weekend. We can spend all day together.”

“Can’t wait,” said Emma. She reached up to kiss her gently, before going to McGonagall’s office.

Julius was waiting outside McGonagall's office, playing idly with his wand. He nearly dropped it when it shot sparks in his face, which meant Emma had to hide as she suppressed her laughter.

“Hey,” Julius said. “I waited for you.”

“Thanks,” said Emma. “Let’s hope this is quick, I’m hungry.”

McGonagall was waiting for them in her office, and looked up as they entered. The last time Emma had been in the large, circular room McGonagall had been wondering whether to expel her for blowing up Leo Audax, so she felt slightly uncomfortable as she sat down opposite McGonagall.

“Now, hopefully you’ve both had a bit of time to adjust to your new posts,” said McGonagall. Emma refrained from saying that she hadn’t. “I think it’s time I explained what happened.

“In recent years, the Ministry of Magic has felt it appropriate to start meddling in the affairs of Hogwarts. The last time this happened was the Wizarding War, thankfully before your times, when their actions caused a great deal of trouble for all involved. Needless to say, we don’t want them interfering any more than they have to.

“To this end, I decided to make a change to the way Head Boy and Girl work. Normally, you would lead the student body and act as a point of contact between the students and the teachers. This will still happen,” said McGonagall. “But now you will also act as envoys between the Ministry and the school. Your job is to communicate the feelings of the student body not just to us as professors, but also directly to the Ministry.”

“Why?” said Julius.

“Because,” said McGonagall, “the world needs to change. I haven’t spent much of my time in the muggle world, but it’s clear that we, as a society, are behind in some aspects. There are ideologies that have no place in our world present in the Ministry. The way to change that is to start with the young.

“I picked you both for different reasons. Julius, as captain of the Quidditch team, you are a born leader, good with words and of calming temperament. Emma, there are no witches more intelligent than you in the school, myself included. Together you have the power to enact great change.

“Of course, that’s if you want to,” said McGonagall. “To thrust that responsibility upon you would be unfair. If you wish to behave as normal, go ahead. But think about the repercussions your actions could have if you use this post responsibly.”

McGonagall went on to actually highlight the real responsibilities of the Head Boy and Girl. Julius looked slightly lost at her speech about change, but Emma knew clearly what she was talking about. She hadn’t said it, but intelligence meant nothing if there wasn’t motivation behind it, personal experience to draw from. Emma had kept her sexuality a secret for six years at Hogwarts, and it was clear that McGonagall wanted her to help make sure that people didn’t feel the need to do so anymore.

After the lengthy meeting, Julius and Emma left feeling tired. “That was interesting,” said Julius. 

“It’s a lot to think about,” said Emma. “I guess we’ll be going to the Ministry at some point.”

“My dad wanted me to work in the Ministry,” said Julius. “It’ll be interesting to see what the fuss is.”

“I agree,” said Emma. “What do you think of Fletcher?”

“I don’t really know,” said Julius. “I mean, he can’t be as bad as Fudge was, right?”

“I suppose not,” said Emma, who hadn’t really seen much of the current Minister for Magic since he had replaced Shacklebolt a few years ago.

“Well, I’ll see you when I see you,” said Julius, as they arrived in the Great Hall, heading off to the Slytherin table. Emma sat with Alice and Mary, and soon Ava had come over to sit with them.

“What’s he like?” asked Alice.

“Who?”

“Julius,” said Alice. “He seems cool.”

“He’s a Slytherin,” Paul reminded her.

“He’s good,” said Emma. “He’s pretty relaxed about everything.”

“What did McGonagall say?” Ava asked. Emma briefly relayed the slightly overwhelming litany of information that McGonagall had put to them. “Wow,” Ava said once she was done.

“That is very interesting,” said Mary. “It sounds like I was right in thinking that McGonagall wants to push the Ministry out of Hogwarts.”

“But why is she using you two?” asked Alice.

“I think it’s something to do with the youth being the future,” said Emma.

“And you think she chose you to be an inspiration to other lesbians?” asked Mary.

“Representation is important,” said Emma. “I would have felt a lot better if I’d had a lesbian Head Girl in my first year.”

“I agree,” said Mary, “but it makes you wonder what she chose Julius for.”

“She said he was a good speaker, a natural leader.”

“There are plenty of Gryffindors that applies to,” said Ava.

“Maybe it’s to prove that Slytherin aren’t a bad house after all,” said Alice. “How many of the past Head Boy and Girl have been Gryffindors?”

“Most of them,” said Mary.

“Exactly,” said Alice. 

“I don’t know,” said Emma. “It doesn’t seem to have as much as weight to it.”

“Well, whatever it is, it’s his business,” said Ava. “He’ll say something if he wants to.”

“Do you think he could be gay?” wondered Alice.

“Definitely not,” said Ava. “I dated him in fourth year.”

“He could be bisexual,” said Emma, nudging Ava gently.

“I suppose.”

“Well, Ava was right,” said Emma. “He’ll tell me if he wants, and if he doesn’t, that’s fine.”

Emma and Ava both had a free lesson after lunch, so they spent it together walking the grounds of Hogwarts. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Ava asked her.

“I think so,” said Emma. “It’s a bit strange, and not exactly what I was expecting, but I think I’ll manage.”

“Well, being Head Girl and doing five N.E.W.Ts sounds pretty tough.”

“It’s been done before,” said Emma. “I’ll be fine. Are you sure you’re okay with not getting it?”

“It’s less work,” said Ava. “More time to practice Quidditch. I think we can make a run at the Cup this year.”

“I think you can,” said Emma. “You won last year.”

“But we can’t afford to relax,” said Ava. “Slytherin’s completely shaken up their team this year, so we have to watch out for that. Speaking of which, what do you think of Julius?”

“He’s cool,” said Emma. “But no, I’m not going to spy on his team for you.”

“Damn.” Emma laughed.

“You know, last year it was Paul asking if I could spy on you.”

“Really?”

“I didn’t, obviously.”

“That’s good,” said Ava. “We used an unorthodox formation for our Ravenclaw games last year. We might not have won if you’d said anything.”

“You’re welcome,” said Emma. “I feel I’ve helped the Gryffindor team enough.”

“Fair enough,” said Ava. They came to the Great Lake, shimmering before them like a cold mirror. “I love this place,” Ava murmured.

Emma remembered casting dark magic across the lake just a few months ago, and said nothing. Ava turned to her, checked that they were alone, and kissed Emma gently. 

They walked a bit further until they found the large, bent over tree that overlooked the lake. Ava sat underneath it, and Emma snuggled on top of her, resting her head on Ava’s chest. She shut her eyes, drifting away in a sea of contentment. This is what she’d missed the most.

After a few minutes Emma felt Ava tense up, and heard a splash. She opened her eyes to see someone emerging from the water of the lake. It was a boy, in just swimming shorts. It wasn’t until he pushed his long, wet brown hair from his eyes that Emma recognised him as Julius.

Julius looked over at them, waved casually, and walked off. Emma looked up at Ava to see her going bright red. “Are you okay?” Emma asked, surprised at how irritated she had become.

“Uh, yeah,” said Ava. “I’m fine.” Emma raised an eyebrow. “It’s just… interesting. Training already. First game’s not for a month yet.”

“Is that it?” said Emma. Ava glanced over at where Julius was now drying himself off a little way down the beach. Emma looked too, and then back at Ava. 

“Yeah,” said Ava. “That’s it. Got to keep an eye on the competition.”

Emma felt uneasy about Julius’s presence all of a sudden. “How close an eye?” she asked before she could stop herself.

“Emma, that’s not… it wasn’t like that.”

“No?”

“Emma,” said Ava. Emma looked up at her face, saw how genuinely hurt she was, and felt bad. “I wouldn’t-“

“No, I’m sorry,” said Emma. “You’re right. I was just… I don’t know.”

“It’s fine,” said Ava. “I get it. I can see how it looked.”

“How what looked?” said Emma, smirking. “His-“

“Emma, for god’s sake!” said Ava, laughing. Emma laughed too, and settled back into her position on top of Ava.

“I’m sorry,” said Emma.

“Forget it,” said Ava. They sat in silence for a few minutes. “Mary’s nice,” Ava said.

“Yeah,” said Emma. “She’s a little…”

“Dotty?”

Emma chuckled. “That’s a good word. I like her, though.”

“Yeah, me too,” said Ava.

“So,” said Emma. “What’s going to happen next?”

“Next?”

“After school,” said Emma.

“Well, we’ll get dinner and go to bed, I guess.”

“No, I mean, in July,” said Emma. “After we graduate.”

“Oh,” said Ava.

“What’s going to happen to us?”

“Well, I don’t know,” said Ava. “But I want this to keep going. For as long as possible.”

“Me too.”

“So, I guess you’d work at Ollivander’s, in Diagon Alley, right? And I see if I can get a job in St. Mungo’s, or the Auror’s department, or, failing that, something else in the Ministry. And maybe we can live together in London.”

Emma looked up at Ava’s confident face, amazed at how surely she had said it, how natural it seemed to her that they would live together. It felt right to Emma, too. She kissed her, and that was all the answer Ava needed.


	3. Chapter 3

“Saturday?” Emma asked, incredulous.

“That’s what she said,” said Julius. “We have to go first thing.”

Emma was crestfallen. She had been expecting to spend Saturday with Ava in Hogsmeade, and now this had come up. “Thanks, Julius. I’ll see you then.” She walked on to Charms.

“Hey,” said Ava as she approached. “What’s up? You look sad.”

“I have to go the Ministry on Saturday,” said Ava. “Sorry.”

“Oh,” said Ava. “That sucks. I was hoping to go Hogsmeade together on Saturday.”

“Can we go on Sunday?”

“I promised the team we would practice on Sunday,” said Ava. 

“Damn it,” said Emma.

“I’m sorry about this,” said Ava. “We’ll go next weekend. I promise, I’ll cancel practice.”

“Thank you,” said Emma. “Hopefully they don’t want to see us weekly, but if they do I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks,” said Ava.

Charms proved to be a surprise to Emma; they were learning a spell she hadn’t come across. Flitwick taught them the method behind the Ascension Charm, and watched as they practiced. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take Emma long to master the spell, and she soon had her wooden block soaring upwards before anyone else. She spent the rest of the lesson trying it nonverbally, which was much harder but not impossible.

Saturday came quickly, and Emma found herself secretly dreading the trip to the ministry with Julius. She felt bad for feeling weird around him. It was pretty obvious that Ava didn’t fancy him or anything, but still the feeling of irrational jealousy crept into her mind when it wandered. She couldn’t wait to spend some more time with Ava, beyond the few fleeting hours they had spent under the tree by the lake. 

Emma couldn’t sleep, and stayed up in the common room reading. Normally, this was common practice for Ravenclaws, but she found herself alone around midnight. She was alone for only a few minutes, though, as Lily Beckett and Mary came down the stairs, giggling. They hadn’t noticed Emma, so she said “Evening,”, making them jump.

“Emma,” said Lily. “What are you still doing up?”

“I have to go to the ministry tomorrow,” said Emma. “I couldn’t sleep.”

“You’ll be fine,” said Mary. Emma nodded to show her appreciation.

“What are you doing up?” said Emma, raising an eyebrow.

“I was just showing Lily a book on dragons I took out,” said Mary.

“Dragons?”

“Yeah,” said Lily. “I’m thinking about training to be a dragon trainer after school, and I was excited to read up on them.”

“That’s cool,” said Emma, not failing to notice the tension in the room.

“It is,” said Lily. “Their horns are particularly interesting. Lots of magical applications.”

“They are very horny,” said Mary. Lily made a strange noise, like a laugh disguised as an awkward cough. Emma smiled, having made a connection. 

“Well,” said Lily. “We should get that book.”

“Of course,” said Emma, returning to her own book. “Good night.”

“Night.”

Emma watched over her book as Mary whispered something in Lily’s ear, causing them both to dissolve into more hushed giggles. She smiled again.

Emma finally fell asleep in her armchair, and was awoken by Alice after just a few hours of sleep. She groggily went to breakfast with Mary and Alice, Mary trying and failing to hide a smile as they walked.  
Ava joined them at breakfast, as she usually did, but Emma was surprised to see Julius walking towards the Ravenclaw table. “Hey,” he said. “McGonagall just told me we have to go to Hogsmeade after breakfast.”

“Okay. Where?”

“Three Broomsticks,” said Julius. “I don’t know anything else.”

“Okay, thanks,” said Emma.

“I’ll walk down with you,” said Ava as Julius walked away. “If that’s okay.”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” said Emma. Ava squeezed her hand and smiled.

“You were up late,” said Alice. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just a bit preoccupied,” said Emma. 

“You’ll be great,” said Ava. There was a general nod of assent around the table, including from the other Ravenclaws. Emma smiled, feeling slightly better.

After breakfast she and Ava walked hand in hand out into the fresh autumn air, and headed down towards Hogsmeade. “What are you going to do today?” Emma asked her.

“I was just going to do some shopping,” said Ava. “I want to see if there are any new broom accessories, stuff like that.”

“Sounds like fun,” said Emma, stifling a yawn.

“Did you get any sleep last night?”

“A little bit,” said Emma. “I read most of the night. I’ll tell you who came down late at night, though.”

“Who?”

“Mary and Lily,” said Emma. 

Ava’s seemed nonplussed. “What were they doing?”

“Well, Mary said they were looking for a book of hers, but they were giggling and stuff.”

“What about?”

Emma suddenly realised that Ava didn’t know that Mary was a lesbian. “Oh, you know. I couldn’t hear it.” She wanted to tell Ava, but didn’t want to betray Mary’s trust.

“Is Mary… gay?” said Ava, carefully.

Emma paused. “It’s not for me to say,” she said.

Ava smirked. “That means yes,” she said. “It’s fine, I won’t tell anyone.”

“Thanks,” said Emma. “Yes, she is.”

“So, you think they were-“

“I think so,” said Emma. “Mary said something about dragons being very horny.”

Ava laughed. “She said that?”

“I know she’s a bit… odd, but she must have known what she was saying.”

They laughed about it as they approached the village, Emma feeling a weight lift as they walked. Spending time with Ava made everything seem brighter, and easier. 

Outside the Three Broomsticks, Ava said, “Well, I guess I’ll see you tonight?”

“Okay,” said Emma. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed Ava, not even caring if anyone saw them. “Bye.”

“Bye.” Ava walked off, and Emma entered the pub.

Julius was waiting at a table, and waved her over. She sat down opposite him. The pub was mostly empty. “What’s up?” he said.

“What do we do now?” asked Emma.

“I don’t know,” said Julius. “I’ve only been for a few minutes.”

Emma looked around the empty pub. The door banged open and a short man with a large droopy moustache entered. He saw the two of them and came over, grabbing something out of his pocket. “You two,” he said. “Are you the students?”

“Yes,” said Julius, standing. Emma stood up too. “Nice to meet you.”

“Yes, yes,” said the man. “We’re going to be late. Come on.”

The man strode over to the fireplace, placed a pot full of powder on the nearest table, and said, “Come on then. Big handful, throw it down, say ‘Ministry of Magic’. Got it?”

Emma nodded, being an experience Floo Powder user. Julius went first, taking a large handful of powder and stepping into the fireplace. In a bright green flash he was gone.

Emma went after him, bracing herself for the mildly uncomfortable sensation of being sent through the Floo Network. She emerged into a large, airy atrium filled with wizards and witches rushing around. She quickly moved from in front of the fireplace, as was courteous to do, and looked around, drinking in the sights and sounds of the Ministry of Magic.

Down the end of the atrium was a large statue of a witch and a wizard surrounded by other magical creatures, water spouting from various facets of the statue. Small paper planes whizzed around in the air, creating a low sort of constant buzz. 

The man appeared in a fireplace opposite her, and came over quickly. “Put this on,” he said, shoving a large badge into her hand. She held it to her chest and it attached magically, reading “HEAD GIRL” in large, slightly lurid print. “Where’s the boy?”

“I don’t know,” said Emma. She scanned and saw Julius walking over, looking faintly sick. She waved him over.

“Put this on and follow me,” said the man. “Now, or we’ll be late.”

Julius nodded, and affixed the “HEAD BOY” badge. The pair followed the man as he set off at a quick walk across the atrium. Struggling to keep up, they arrived at a set of lifts, one of which they piled into along with a great number of other witches and wizards. The lift jerked them backwards, which unsettled Julius greatly. Given how rough he already looked, Emma was worried he’d throw up. It was strange seeing him so out of sorts.

When the lift stopped, they departed along with a few others. “Here we are,” said the man. “You’ll be expected in a few minutes. Lifts were quicker than usual, so we’re actually early.”

“For what?” said Emma. “You haven’t told us what we’re supposed to be doing yet.”

“Oh,” said the man, looking apologetic. “Sorry about that. Must have been a cock-up- ah, I mean, a mistake higher up. This is just a preliminary meeting with the Deputy Minister.”

Julius looked surprised. “There’s a Deputy Minister?”

“Yes,” said Emma. She knew who it was, and was suddenly filled with apprehension and nervous excitement.

The man led them to a large waiting room outside an office with “Deputy Minister Of Magic” on the door below the name. “Right,” said the man. “I’ll leave you here. Miss Granger will see you in a few minutes.”

“Thank you,” said Emma. She waited until they were alone in the waiting room before taking her seat next to Julius. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” said Julius.

“Are you a muggle-born?”

Julius’s eyes widened. “Wow,” he said. “You Ravenclaws really are smart.”

“Just observant,” said Emma. “Was that your first time using Floo Powder?”

“Yeah,” said Julius. “I wasn’t expecting it to be so… sickening.”

“You get used to it,” said Emma. “If it helps, this is my first time in the Ministry.”

“I didn’t even know the lifts would go backwards,” said Julius. “In our world, they tend to go up and down. What about you, by the way?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you… muggle born or…? Sorry if that’s a personal question.”

“It’s fine. I’m a pureblood,” said Emma. “Quite a few generations, too.”

“That’s cool.”

“Well, it’s nothing special,” said Emma. “I would have been fine when Voldemort took over the Ministry, but apart from that…”

“Yeah, I guess,” said Julius.

They waited for a few minutes, Emma occasionally glancing up at the door which bore Hermione Granger’s name. The brightest witch of her generation, or so they said. Alice had a theory that the enmity between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor had come about when Granger had been sorted into what most Ravenclaws believed to be the wrong house. When Emma had raised the point that her bravery is what secured her place in Gryffindor, Alice argued that bravery shouldn’t be prioritised over innate intelligence or love of learning. Luna Lovegood was brave, too, she argued.

The door opened, jerking Emma out of her reverie. She was moderately surprised to see Harry Potter, in his Auror’s uniform, exiting the office with Hermione Granger close behind. Julius visibly straightened in his chair, trying not to seem too awestruck. Harry turned to leave, and as he caught Emma’s eye, a flicker of recognition passed across his face. “Hey,” he said. “Have we met?”

“Yes,” said Emma, rising to shake his hand. “Last year. You gave me some advice after your talk.”

“Oh, yeah,” said Harry. “You were the one who could do wandless, wordless summoning charms! I told Hermione about it, and she didn’t believe me. You should do one now, prove me right-“

“Harry,” said Hermione, stepping forwards. “Haven’t you got work to do?”

“Right,” said Harry, looking sheepish. “Good to see you again, Emma,” he said, departing.

“Sorry about that,” said Hermione. “Come in.”

Julius looked to Emma, completely dumbfounded. Emma shrugged, and followed Hermione into her office, stifling a laugh at Julius’s expression.

Hermione’s office was large, and filled with bookshelves. She sat the other side of a large oak desk, also covered in open books. Emma allowed herself to really look at her for the first time. Her frizzy hair was tied back in an austere bun. She was wearing a sharp grey suit that complemented her face nicely. In her eyes Emma saw a hint of curiosity, of the spark of erudition that was present in every Ravenclaw she had met. She also saw hints of a steel determinism that frightened her slightly.

“Right,” she said. “Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. I’m Deputy Minister Granger.”

“Nice to meet you,” said Julius, having recovered slightly. They shook hands across the table.

“So, has McGonagall filled you in?” asked Hermione. Emma and Julius nodded. “Good. I’m excited to get to working together. Now, there’s a very good reason you’re not talking to the Minister himself at present. Any idea why?”

“You’re behind all this, aren’t you?” said Emma. Hermione nodded slightly, inclining her head to indicate that Emma should continue. “You want to make the wizarding world a better place.”

“I do,” said Hermione. “It’s why I chose this career path. You may think that Voldemort’s ideals died with him all those years ago, but you’d be wrong. Muggles and muggle-borns, not to mention squibs, still face challenges in modern wizarding society. It’s probably not a surprise that I’m the highest ranking muggle-born in government, but I have been for seven years now, through a number of different posts. Soon, I expect to win the election and become the first Muggle-born Minster of Magic in a surprisingly long time.

“My Muggle heritage has afforded me a unique view to their world, and what I’ve seen is worrying. There are groups of Muggles who are persecuted on baseless grounds, much like Muggle-borns were by Voldemort. These forms of persecution are different, however. They are more insidious, less obvious at first glance, more widespread and ultimately more broad in definition.

“That being said, I have also noticed an increase in the forces opposing these oppressors. Those who wear their differences proudly, and challenge the outdated views of their persecutors. From what I’ve seen, the marginalized minorities are fighting back.

“This made me realise that our own world, by comparison, is far behind. It’s no secret that technological development is different with magical influences, but in social issues we have also slipped behind our Muggle cousins. In our world, those people don’t have a voice, and their existence is, sometimes, not even acknowledged.

“Emma,” said Hermione. “You have a girlfriend, right?”

“Yes,” said Emma, blushing slightly. 

“How did you come to realise that you were gay?”

“Well, I was talking to my friend Alice, and she told me about gay people, and it made me realise that that’s what I am. She gave me a book about it.”

“Is Alice a pureblood?”

“No,” said Emma. “She’s halfblood.”

“So, you had to learn about your sexuality from a Muggle source?” Emma nodded. “Do you see the problem? LGBT issues are not discussed in wizarding culture because, as far as wizarding culture is concerned, LGBT people don’t exist.”

“LGBT?” said Emma.

Hermione looked briefly taken aback. “Yet more evidence,” she said. “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender. An acronym that serves as a catch-all for those who don’t conform to heteronormative sexuality and gender norms.”

Emma nodded, astounded at the revelation of a world she had never considered might exist. She had know others like her existed for a long time, but that there might be a whole culture surrounding it? And what on earth did ‘transgender’ mean? She resolved to find out upon her return to Hogwarts.

Hermione continued. “With all of this in mind, I decided it was time for change. Obviously, this sort of change doesn’t come about overnight. That’s why I’ve asked you two to raise awareness of these issues, and act as role models, not only for these hidden minority groups, but also to everyone else to educate them about this. Is that clear?”

Emma nodded, overflowing with admiration for Hermione Granger. Julius also assented, looking thoughtful. “Good,” said Hermione. “I’m glad you’ve both taken to this viewpoint well. Not that I should be surprised, of course. Before you go, I just wanted to thank both of you for what you’ll be doing. You’re going to be creating a better world for everyone.”

Hermione went over a few other things, which didn’t really interest Emma much. She still couldn’t really believe that she’d met Hermione Granger, one of her biggest heroes. It occurred to her that she’d met both her and Harry Potter, and wondered if there was any reason for her to meet Ron Weasley too.

Hermione concluded and let them out. There was no-one in the waiting room. “What now?” said Emma.

“I don’t know,” said Julius. “We should probably get back to Hogwarts, right?”

“I guess,” said Emma. “What do you think of it, by the way?”

“What?”

“The whole thing Hermione was talking about.”

“I think it’s good,” said Julius. “Very important.” He looked unusually taut, so Emma decided not to push him.

They made their way back to the atrium, Emma subconsciously guiding Julius through the slightly confusing halls of the Ministry of Magic. She was mulling over what Hermione had said, contemplating the possibility of a world where there were many others like her. It seemed almost too good to be true, a world where she didn’t have to hide. Then again, that was the world Hermione wanted to bring about, and Emma resolved to do everything in her power to help her.

They used the Floo Network back to Hogsmeade, although they accidentally came out in The Hog’s Head. The owner, an old man with a large white beard, was visibly annoyed, muttering something about how he’d tried to take it off the Floo Network, and ushered them out. Julius looked slightly less sick than he had done last time, but still a bit queasy. “You okay?” said Emma.

“I’ll be fine,” said Julius.

Emma pondered for a second, and then said, “So, you know how I was chosen because I’m… gay?” Julius nodded. “Well, it just got me thinking.” She didn’t know how to ask the question, and realised she’d dug herself into a hole. 

“You’re wondering why I was chosen?” asked Julius. Emma shrugged awkwardly, wishing she’d never started. “It’s fine. I’ve got a pretty good idea, but it’s… my own business.” He had that look again, like he was remembering something painful. It was strange seeing it on his normally relaxed face. Emma suddenly had to fight off the urge to hug him. He looked incredibly vulnerable, and sad.

“I’m not gay,” he said, catching Emma off guard slightly. “If that’s what you were wondering. But, I guess Ava could have told you that.”

“Well, that doesn’t mean you’re straight,” said Emma. “You could be bisexual.”

Julius nodded. “Good point. But I’m not. Definitely straight.”

“Could it be because you’re a muggle-born?” asked Emma.

“Could be,” said Julius, but Emma got the impression that Julius knew that wasn’t the case. Whatever it was clearly wasn’t something Julius wasn’t ready to talk about.

They walked back to Hogwarts, surprised at how much of the day was left. Emma felt like she had been through a whole day already. Still, she was excited to see Ava again.

The Great Hall was emptying as she arrived, and the Ravenclaw table was nearly empty, so she ate quickly and made her way back to the common room.

As she approached the Ravenclaw tower, she saw Lily Beckett coming the other way. Lily smiled, and said, “Hey, Emma. How was the Ministry?”

Emma, remembering their rendezvous from the previous year, was hesitant to chat. “It was interesting,” she said.

Just behind Lily, Mary came out of the common room. “Oh, hi, Emma,” said Mary. 

“She was just talking about the ministry,” said Lily. 

“What was it you had to do?” asked Mary.

“We had a meeting,” said Emma, “with Hermione Granger.”

Lily’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”

“Absolutely,” said Emma.

“That’s nice,” said Mary. “How was she?”

“She seemed very focussed,” said Emma.

“Wait, do you know her?” asked Lily.

“Yes,” said Mary. “She’s a friend of my mother’s.”

“Who’s your mother?”

“Luna Lovegood,” said Mary.

Emma had to stifle a laugh at Lily’s expression. “Are you kidding?” she said, incredulous. “That’s amazing!”

“I suppose so,” said Mary. Lily laughed, and Mary smiled in a way Emma hadn’t seen before. There was clearly something there, she thought.

“Have either of you seen Ava?” Emma asked.

“Not today,” said Mary. 

“Okay,” said Emma. “Thanks.”

She went down to the library, got some books that she had been meaning to read, and made her way back to the Ravenclaw common room, where Mary and Alice were waiting. “Did you find her?” Mary asked as soon as she sat down.

“She wasn’t in the library,” said Emma.

“Who are we talking about?” asked Alice. “Also, how was the Ministry?”

Emma recapped what Hermione had told her at the Ministry. “It didn’t take as long as I expected,” said Emma, “so I was hoping to catch up with Ava afterwards, but I haven’t been able to find her.”

“She said she was going to Hogsmeade,” said Alice. 

“Well, she wasn’t there,” said Emma, feeling slightly annoyed. “I’m going to go the Gryffindor common room.”

“Uh, I’m not sure you’re allowed to,” said Alice.

“I don’t care,” said Emma. “I might not even go in, I’ll just ask if someone’s seen her.”

“There’s no rule against going in another common room,” said Mary. “It’s just tradition. I’ve been in the Hufflepuff common room.”

“Why?” asked Alice. Emma hovered, her interest piqued.

“It’s not important,” said Mary, smiling slightly. Emma left Alice to question her and set off towards the Gryffindor common room.

Outside the portrait that led to the Gryffindor common room, Emma waited. The lady in the painting wouldn’t even speak to her, turning her nose up whenever Emma spoke and muttering something about Ravenclaws. A pair of boys approached after a few minutes, surprised to see Emma there. “What do you want?” one of them asked, a note of confrontation in his voice.

“Have you seen Ava recently?” Emma asked.

“Oh,” said the first boy. “It’s you. What was it again? Wood. Head Girl, though from what I hear, that’s not exactly what you’re into, right?”

The other boy laughed, and Emma sighed, hoping she could contain her rising temper. “Have you seen her?” she asked.

“What do you want her for?” asked the other boy, grinning nastily. “I think you’re flying for the wrong team, if you catch my drift.”

Emma quietly got her wand out and smiled sweetly. “I don’t,” she said. “Care to explain?”

The first boy approached, smirking, while the other hung back and waited. “He means,” said the boy, “what does Ava have that we don’t?”

Emma revealed her wand slowly, and aimed it at the boy’s face. She enjoyed seeing his face drop. “Maybe,” said Emma, “you could stay the fuck away from me.”

The boys sneered, but backed away into the common room. Emma put her wand away, and turned to walk quickly back to the Ravenclaw Tower, when a familiar voice stopped her at the end of a corridor.

“Emma?”

She spun to see Ava standing in front of the portrait and ran over to her, jumping into her arms and wrapping her legs around her waist. The sensation of being near Ava, of having her so close, made her feel safe and secure. Ava hugged her tight, and kissed her long and passionately. “Where were you?” asked Emma.

“I was busy,” said Ava. “Come on, let’s go somewhere we can talk.”

Emma and Ava walked hand-in-hand through the corridors of Hogwarts, and out towards the tree by the lake. As they approached, however, they heard voices laughing coming from the spot they usually shared. Ava stopped them, and they backed away, but Emma was curious. She whispered, “Homenum Revelio,” and two shadowy figures appeared behind the tree, looking around and shivering. Emma realised they could feel her spell, and backed away. They ran away, giggling, hoping the couple didn’t see them.

Instead, they made their way around the lake to a small patch of low grass that sat close to the waterfront. They sat with Emma resting her head on Ava’s chest, feeling her heartbeat, enjoying the slow rise and fall of her breasts. “I’m sorry,” said Ava. “I didn’t know how long you would be.”

“What are you sorry for?” asked Emma. “You couldn’t have known. It’s just been a long day and I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” said Ava, kissing her forehead. “You really scared the shit out of those two guys.”

“Wankers,” said Emma. Ava laughed.

“Definitely,” said Ava. “It’s shitty, how some people can be, right?”

“Yeah,” said Emma. “But it’s fine.”

There was a pause, and Ava started to say something, but Emma shushed her. “Can we just… be? Together?”

“Of course,” said Ava, and they lay in comfortable silence.


End file.
